LFG Tool is NOT Needed

I agree that another LFG tool is not needed.

LFD tool is NOT needed because when people start to encourage others to utilize the current system then all these problems will go away.

We can already set our LFG status, we can SEARCH EVERYONE who is currently LFG. What more do people want?

Maybe they want to queue for a LFG and go quest?
- You can do that.

Maybe they want to find people who set themselves as LFG?
- We can do that!

Maybe they want a buzzer saying "x has queued for J Flashpoint: Click yes to join or no to pass"
- Can do that with a simple whisper from a leader.

The problem isn't the LFG tool it is that people are not utilizing it fully.

I can get online, do a search for anyone who is LFG and find what I need at any given time. It is currently a bit slow but that is only because people are not setting themselves as LFG!

For the love of the force be it dark or light set yourselves as LFG so I can search for you while you are off doing a quest!

TL;DR: If you set a LFG comment and go quest, anyone can search through /who for "LFG" to find you! Please set a LFG comment so we can search and FIND YOU!

You don't have to wait, you don't have to stand around in fleet you can just set a LFG comment and others can find you.

But, ONLY if we all start using this system how it should be used.

Bioware has given their stand but there's nothing wrong with us continuing to give feedback and try to convince them of our arguments.

To me its a simple decision to implement cross server LFG.

Goal: Increase participation in flashpoints/operations


The goal of designing flashpoints and operations should be to allow them to be run by as much of the population as possible. Having any system where only a small minority of the player base experience flashpoint/operation content is a bad design philosophy. WOW took time to learn that, SWTOR can avoid that pitfall or fall in again where the overall MMO playerbase is less tolerant of bad designs.

Bioware has the hard data. They know how many flashpoint groups clear content and how many break up, they know what % of the playerbase has cleared how many flashpoints. They know how many players have never been able to run a flashpoint by the time they're L50. There is no place for anecdotal evidence here, after all, Bioware already has the data.


Solution: Only LFG Global can solve this problem

There is currently no known, suggested or implemented solution other than a global LFG that can give a high success rate at forming and maintaining a group. Spamming, forums, guilds, whatevers, they all have a success rate that is less than an automated LFG that matches players across servers. If Bioware sits on the drawing board and comes out with something better all the more power to them. But as it is, using a system that gives a lower success rate than LFG is only inefficiency.

Majority Rules

The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few. This is more so in an MMO which relies on large numbers of subscribers to maintain profitability. The people happy with no LFG are those who are thriving in this current system. Bioware has the data to tell what percentaile of the player population they are. They also have the data to see what proportion of the player population are having a lot of trouble getting flashpoints/operations going.

Complains of ninjas and unfriendly people are small consolation to players who cannot even enter a flashpoint reliably if it all. These are the players who could well decide that they would rather find another MMO that values their monthly subcription more. Telling these players to get lost will not be an option if they form a large proportion of the player base.

Conclusion

LFG is absolutely essential to ensure that a reasonable amount of the playerbase is able to run flashpoints/operations. Bioware can decide with their internal data if enough players are able to do so. Their decision will make the difference in how the future of SWTOR plays out.

If there's something I learned from Blizzard in my past 7 years of WoW, is that you shouldn't take the developer's words as final. Eventually, what they said to be impossible now, will be a reality tomorrow.

Race change, faction change, name changes, even paid character plastic surgeries were considered impossible in vanilla WoW... now they are Blizzard's current moneymakers.

I played wow for 7 years, groups used to take two hours to put together. Then a LFG tool was released, after that it was extremely easy to form a group, and when one or two people dropped group after a wipe, as they ALWAYS did even when it took two hours to form, it only took two-three minutes to replace them through the tool. After the LFG tool was introduced, people acted the same way they always did, like asses.

I don't see why people complain about getting a lfg tool.

Another 7 year here My experiences are largely the same as others in this thread. The one I can relate to the most, is the post on UBRS.

The LFD and LFR has enabled me to see so much content that I literally don't want to play any MMO without it.

After WoW last year, I switched to DC Universe Online when it became F2P, a game that already had LFD and LFR and I enjoyed that immensely. I only left that game to play Skyrim and to try this game out.

Let me tell ya, once I level to 50 on my main and alt (36/14 atm) and LFD at least is not implemented, I'm out. Bioware's dev's had their fun, did their little experiment, and it doesn't work, for many reasons which are listed in this thread.

^this. It's really easy, if you don't want or like an LFG, then don't use it...

Personally, I think it's on the way. Most people want it, and the anti-LFG crowd are the loud minority IMO, not the other way around.

I hope they add some type of utility to finding groups. I don't care if it is a LFG tool or some other new invention.

At this time, the one thing that is killing my gaming experience is finding groups for FPs. It takes longer to find a group (typically) then it does to actually runt he flashpoint. Then the whole LFG tag they currently have (which I use the entire time I'm logged into the game), does not work at all because very few people use it. I tend to be the only one who tags myself LFG, but as soon as I start spamming I'll get one or two other people (after maybe 20 minutes of spam).

I really hope they improve LFG in some way. Albeit a LFG tool or some other mechanism, it needs to be done. If no improvement to LFG is made and I don't find a guild that runs daily FPs, I will likely have to leave the game because not being able to do effiencent FPs is killing the experience for me.

This is just my 2 cents, but I'm really disappointed with grouping at this time. I have an easier time finding groups for Heroic quests - the reason being because people in your current area have an interest in those also. Solution - Global chat channels (which isn't a LFG tool but will allow you to find those close to your level who may be interested in the same FP but not standing around the Fleet).

Please fix grouping, its hurting my game experience tremendously.

Yes DDO's lfg system was best. Simple, easy, fast. That's what I vote for!

False. The problems were there in EQ. The were there in wow before the lfd went in. Without a matchmaking system, these problems will continue to exist.

with a matchmaking system you have different problems. not the ones that most people cite (they're blaming the system for behavior it doesn't create or even encourage)

A valid lfg tool?

Never gonna happen. It didn't work in EQ. It didn't work in wow. It won't work here.

fixed.

If you actually want a group, you have to sit and wait; you have to stand around in fleet because just setting an LFG comment doesn't mean anything.

All i know is we need something better then what we got cause i couldnt get a grp for anything yesterday even in my so called Empire guild, spamming in chat ppl miss you , finally a nice lvl 50 in my guild ran me through hammer station and Athis but its not the same as doing it with ppl my lvl range! There needs to be a better LFG and there needs to be a better need/greed system thats kinda like wows